And the Point of Salvation
by DArtagnan09
Summary: Cisco, Patty, Cal, Barry, and Caitlin are trapped by a metahuman, and Cisco is the only one who can save them. Can he save himself in the process? Eventual Cisco/Patty, established (very light) Barry/OC. Based on and named after the most recent episode of The Librarians. Silliness abounds.


Why is Patty not an available character filter?

Based on the most recent episode of The Librarians, which is a rad freaking show and you should watch it if you don't already. I intentionally left a lot of this vague, but little bits and pieces get the message across, I think.

I actually cackled watching this episode, and Cisco and Cal immediately came to mind when Ezekiel finally realizes what's up and proves it to the rest of the group by shooting Stone. This will likely be a touch OOC and a little silly, but this is The Librarians we're talking about, you can't hold back.

I do consider this canon in my Feeling Good universe, though I decided to post it as an entirely separate oneshot because it doesn't really fit in with Feeling Good or Jukebox. This will most likely just remain a oneshot. Patty is obviously hip to Team Flash at this point.

I was very loose with the show dialogue. Some is direct from the episode and some is original.

I don't own The Flash or The Librarians. Consider yourselves disclaimed.

* * *

"No, you guys, this is a time loop!"

Barry, Cal, Patty, and Caitlin exchanged concerned glances, before looking back at S.T.A.R. Labs' resident mechanical engineer, who looked like he wanted to rip his hair out as he all but shouted at them.

They were standing in the core lab of S.T.A.R. Labs, where an alarm had gone off indicating an intruder. There was no one there, though the lab was in shambles.

"Cisco, you need to calm down," Caitlin said soothingly. "Just take some deep breaths, you're not making any sense."

"Oh, for-" Cisco gestured wildly around them at the wreck that was S.T.A.R. Labs. "What do you think could have happened here?!"

"I don't know, Cisco, but we need to find out," Barry said. "Has anyone seen Harry? I thought he was here working late last night."

"You GUYS! Okay seriously, we have been _through_ this already! There is a metahuman out there somewhere that's trapped us in a time loop, we need to figure out how to find him and stop him!"

 _'I can't watch you all die again,'_ he thought, but didn't say.

"First we need to make sure no one's hurt," Patty said. "Let's split up and check different floors."

The four moved quickly, not noticing that Cisco stayed behind with a scowl on his face. He stalked around the room, grabbing an oversized wrench he'd left laying at his work station and hurling it over his desk at the reinforced crate holding components of the new Flash suit he was working on.

Instead of a thud and a clang, however, he heard a strange, computerized 'boop'. Furrowing his brow, Cisco moved around his station to see that the crate was gone, replaced by a small case with a red plus sign - the universal sign for first aid. Cisco picked it up carefully, along with the wrench. Looking from one to the other in his hand, he quickly brought up the wrench again and threw it at the crate against the wall. There was another 'boop', and Cisco watched the crate disappear and a small grenade take its place. He slowly picked it up, realization dawning on his face, before he turned to run from the room.

"You guys! You guys I figured it out!"

* * *

In a flash of light, the group of five was once again running into the core lab, desks knocked over and papers littering every surface. Patty drew her sidearm, looking around cautiously to see if there was anyone else around.

Cisco turned to his friends, beaming. "It's not a time loop! It's a video game! This is a Save Point!"

"What are you talking about, Cisco?"

"It explains everything! The ragers are the enemies, the crazy lock is a hacking minigame, _this guy_ \- this guy always waits until we come near, it's a trigger point!" Cisco was moving around them excitedly. "This whole building is a video game level!"

"Cisco, you are not making any sense," Caitlin said.

"No, I can prove it! Watch!" He picked up the wrench again, hurling it at the crate, once again hearing the computerized 'boop' as it turned into a health pack.

"A first aid kit in a crate? This is a loot drop!"

"This is crazy," Cal said, looking around wide-eyed.

"Oh for crying out loud," Cisco said exasperatedly, taking the gun from Patty's hands before she realized what was happening. "Sorry in advance," he said, before aiming for Cal's thigh and pulling the trigger.

She screamed as she went down, quickly followed by the screams and rushed assistance of their friends.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Barry shouted at him, pulling off his jacket to quickly staunch the flow of blood. Cisco only rolled his eyes, tossing the health pack to the injured redhead.

She caught it instinctively and it disappeared in her arms with another 'boop', and her eyes widened again as she clutched at her thigh. Only moments ago it had been a mess of blood and torn flesh, but now there wasn't even a hole in her jeans, and they were as clean as they'd been when she put them on.

She quickly stood, breathing heavily, advancing on Cisco quickly. He nearly flinched as she approached, only for her to stop right in front of him and nearly scream in his face, an almost crazed grin on her lips.

"We're in a _video game?!_ "

Cisco broke out in a grin of his own. "Wanna see the rage people?"

" _Fuck yeah I do!_ " And then she actually skipped as he led her across the lab to a man huddled in the corner, leaving Barry, Caitlin, and Patty to look at each other in confusion, Barry falling heavily onto his backside in his shock.

"No let me do it!" They looked up in time to see Cal gleefully smash the man across the face with the wrench Cisco handed her, wincing as he hit the ground with a thud. She turned and skipped back to them, Cisco on her heels. " _Rage people!_ " The delight was clear across her features, eyes sparkling behind her glasses as she actually shivered with excitement. "It's a survival horror game. Is it - is it more of a sandbox or is it a railroad?"

"Okay," Barry cut her off, relieved she was fine but still glaring at Cisco almost disbelievingly. "I buy that we're trapped in a video game. What we need to figure out is how."

"Wait, Cisco, did you say time loop earlier?" Cal asked, seeming to only just realize what he'd revealed. "Why did you think we were in a time loop, and why are you the only one that remembers anything?"

"Maybe it has something to do with my powers as Vibe," he shrugged, clearly avoiding the first part of her question.

"Yeah, but for it to be a time loop, that means it keeps starting over," Patty said. "How many times?"

"I don't know. Forty. Sixty. Maybe more? I'm not sure." The other four exchanged pained glances.

"And what resets the level?" Cisco shrugged again, not answering. Patty took a step closer to him and waited for him to look her in the eye. "What is it, Cisco?"

"It resets when one of us dies. And I'd rather that not happen again so can we just put our heads together and figure this out please."

Barry felt any lingering anger drain away. "Of course, man. Alright, so this is, at it's most basic, a game. That means there are rules. Cal said it's a survival horror game, so let's start there."

Caitlin nodded. "I think it's more than just Cisco's powers that let him remember. His vibes are fuzzy, disjointed, but it seems like these memories are perfectly clear. But, every video game has a player character, right?"

Cisco's eyes widened in realization. "I was the first one in the room, that made me the player! I'm not sure where the ragers come from, if this is a metahuman they may be able to force people into this like they did with us, or they could just be programmed into the game. And you guys...it's an escort mission. That's why it resets every time one of us dies."

"It's an escort mission? I'm not jealous of you at all now," Cal said, pulling a face.

"Um, what's an escort mission?" Caitlin asked.

"Ugh." If Cisco hadn't physically rolled his eyes, you could have heard it in his voice. "Only the most annoying kind of game mission ever, where you take a bunch of computer controlled characters too dumb to take care of themselves from Point A to Point B. That's you guys."

"I'm still holding this wrench you know," Cal deadpanned.

"That must be why I can't use the Speed Force," Barry said. "I'm not a player character, we don't get special powers."

"If this is a video game," Patty said hurriedly, "what do we do now?"

"Easy," Cal and Cisco both shrugged. "Find the next Save Point."

* * *

"Cisco, what are you _doing_ man?" Barry shouted, slapping the glass with his open palm.

"I don't know what's on the other side of that door. It'll be a whole new set of challenges."

"Come on, Cisco, let us out of here," Cal implored.

"Every person in the group adds more risk that someone will make a mistake, get ambushed, or die. One person has a better chance of learning every trap and trick, and once I know how to get myself through I can get you guys through. I won't be long. At least for you guys," Cisco added, almost as an afterthought.

"Cisco, you know we need to work together," Patty said.

"I can't watch you _die_ anymore!" he suddenly exploded. "This way, you sit here, nice and safe, while I go learn what's past the door and how to beat it. That way, only I die, and you guys won't even have to remember."

"Cisco..." Patty said quietly. He took a deep, shuddering breath, looking her in the eye.

"I can't watch you die anymore."

* * *

"Look, we're in a video game, see!"

Except this time, when the crate disappeared with the familiar 'boop', there was nothing in its place.

"What? No, no that's not right. It should be here." Cisco hit the other crate, but the grenade failed to appear as well. "No, no, I need the health pack! That's how you always believe me, that's the only way you've ever believed me!" His mind raced. "The rager! He's right over here, come on!"

"Okay, Cisco, you are not making any sense," Caitlin said.

"He's not here," Cisco said as though he hadn't heard her. Slowly realization hit him. "No, no, no no no no no. Okay, you all need to do exactly as I say and follow me right now."

"You know you're my best friend, Cisco, but you're acting kind of crazy right now," Cal said, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. "What's wrong?"

"The world is just crashing all around us, that's all, and no one is taking me seriously!"

Suddenly the ceiling tiles flickered strangely, showing glimpses of blue lights and binary code.

"What is that?" Barry asked, wrapping an arm around Cal protectively.

"It's a glitch in the game," Cisco said, "and I caused it trying to save you. I know that sounds crazy, just like a lot of the things that come out of my mouth, but right now, we're all in danger. I don't know how to make you believe me, so I need you to trust me."

"Cisco," Patty started softly, and his gaze focused on her now.

"I know I'm a goofball and I don't take anything seriously, and it can be hard for me to stop joking. But I have spent so much time, you don't even understand how much time, trying to save you and protect you and I know as much about you all as I know about myself. Barry," he looked to his taller friend now. "I know what you said to Harry, that night at Christmastime, after Joe gave you the watch." Barry stiffened, but he was moving onto Cal.

"I know what your father told you the day you and Barry got married." Cal's eyebrows rose in surprise - she had never told anyone about those sweet words. Cisco continued on.

"I know how you feel about Jay, Caitlin, and yes - I do think Ronnie would approve, and I think you know that too." Caitlin's eyes welled up almost imperceptibly.

"And you." Cisco was completely zeroed in on Patty now, who returned his gaze, unflinching. "I know the story your dad told you at bedtime when you were a little girl, and how much it's meant to you since you became a cop. I have watched you all die so many times when it didn't matter. I can't, _I can't_ let it happen now, when it actually does. So please. _Please_ , just this once...let me be the one to save you all."

His eyes never left hers as he spoke, and he held her gaze in the moments that followed his speech before she finally blinked, then gave the tiniest of smiles.

"What do you need us to do?"

* * *

"That is _not_ rope," Caitlin pointed out needlessly as Cisco smiled at them, grenade in hand.

"We're gonna rocket jump. You jump, and I throw the grenade at your feet. The blast from the grenade will give you enough push to make it over the pit." He gestured at large to the chasm in front of them, descending into a pit of grids and binary code.

"That is not how grenades work!"

"Not in real life, but we're in a video game," Cal pointed out as Cisco nodded.

"Rocket jumping is a time-honored tradition."

Caitlin looked to Barry for help, who shrugged - this was not his area. She turned back to the expanse of empty air before the next platform, and the safety of the final Save Point and their escape. She eyed the space dubiously, looking at Cisco. "Just run and jump?"

"Just run and jump," Cisco confirmed.

Caitlin took a few steps backwards, preparing herself for the literal leap of faith she was about to undertake. "I'm out of my mind, I'm out of my mind, I'm out of my mind..." She took off at a run before she could talk herself out of it, feeling her stomach jump to her throat as she fell for what seemed like far too long before a concussive blast just beneath her launched her further into the air, and she landed clumsily on the other platform. Regaining her footing, she spun around, shocked.

"I'll be damned," Cal murmured, before taking a few steps back herself and running forward to jump, landing safely on the other side. Barry, however, tripped on a glitching tile as he ran and nearly didn't make it, only just managing to grab the platform with one hand. Cal and Caitlin pulled him over quickly, Cal wrapping her arms tightly around him as he stood.

Patty moved to take a few steps back, but Cisco grabbed her arm. "Wait. I have to do this." And then his hands were gently cupping her face and his lips were pressing against hers, and he tasted like cinnamon lollipops and coffee and something so, so sad. She barely had time to return the kiss before he was pulling away, looking more determined than ever. "Now jump."

Patty nodded, even though her mind was reeling from the simple, chaste kiss. She took a few steps back as the others had, before jumping and riding the blast across the chasm. Barry was waiting to catch her when she stumbled, making sure she was okay as she righted herself, before they all turned back to Cisco.

"Alright buddy, your turn!" Barry called.

"Just toss it gently in front of you, you should be able to ride the blast like that," Caitlin shouted to him.

"There's not gonna be a blast for me, guys," he called back to them, a small, accepting smile on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Patty asked.

Cisco turned the pack over and shook it. Nothing fell out. He shrugged. "Only had four grenades left."

"But you can't jump that far by yourself!" Patty could feel panic creeping into her voice.

Cisco shook himself out as he braced himself to run. "Probably not, but it's worth a try."

"Alright, well, if you die, it just resets!" Caitlin said, though she sounded worried.

"No," Cal said next to her. "Look around. It'll crash before it resets."

"But you guys won't," Cisco added. "You guys have been saved. I saved you."

"Cisco," Patty was pleading, though she wasn't sure for what. Cisco flashed her a grin.

"Hey. I got this. Good game, you guys." Then he was running, and for a moment he seemed suspended in midair, but then he was falling and he was nowhere near the platform and he just kept falling and

* * *

Patty was standing in the entrance of the core lab, one arm still outstretched as she tried in vain to reach for Cisco. The lab was once again intact, though the intruder alarm was still going off.

"No, no, no, you can't have escaped my game, no one's ever escaped my game!"

The kid couldn't have been more than eighteen, scrawny as anything and wearing an actual vinyl jumpsuit and a pair of thick glasses over his mask, hair dyed purple and spiked haphazardly. He was typing frantically on one of the computers at Cisco's desk as Patty, Barry, Cal, and Caitlin looked at each other in disbelief and horror.

Cisco wasn't there.

Patty didn't bother with her sidearm, simply stalked up to The Kid, grabbed a fistful of his costume, and slammed him down onto the desk.

"Bring. Him. Back."

The Kid had the audacity to struggle and looked indignant. "No way. He cheated."

She snarled, raising him up to slam him down again, but Barry was suddenly there, wrapping her in his arms and pulling her away as she struggled. Cal slipped the handcuffs from the detective's belt and restrained The Kid, forcing him roughly into a chair as she pulled up her own.

"He wasn't able to remove the program from the system yet," she said, searching through the data on the computer screen before she began to type. "I might be able to save him."

"How?" Patty asked, relaxing immediately as Barry released her to go to Cal's side.

"Cisco said he caused a glitch in the game, which caused it to crash, right? So, what do you do when your game crashes? You restart it." With that she hit a final button, and then Cisco was laying on the floor, breathing and whole.

"Um, guys? What am I doing down here? Who's the weird kid in the jumpsuit?"

"I'm The GameMaster!"

"Oh shut up!" Cal snarled at The Kid. "You're under arrest is what you are!" The Kid finally paled at this, slumping back down in the chair. Cal turned back to Cisco, who was being thoroughly checked over by a visibly worried Patty, and was very confused.

"What do you remember?" she asked him, nodding a thanks at Caitlin as she turned off the alarm.

"Um, it's almost like I've got a whole bunch of vibes, but they're not very clear. Everything's kind of fuzzy."

"Why wouldn't he remember?" Patty asked.

"He didn't reach the Save Point," Barry said suddenly. He grinned a little. "He's an unsaved game." Both Cal and Caitlin smiled, though Patty was still solely focused on Cisco's face.

Cisco was still confused. "I'm a what now?

"I'll tell you what," Cal said quickly, rising from her chair and grabbing The Kid by the arm. "The three of us will take this little brat on a nice trip to see Detective West, and Patty can tell you all about it. You two have fun." And the little group filed out the door, Barry already on the phone with Joe to let him know they had a metahuman prisoner incoming.

"Um. Okay?" Cisco looked warily at Patty. "What's going on?"

"You really don't remember anything?" she asked.

He sat up, not noticing they were still on the floor. "Just bits and pieces. Um, something about a gate that kept closing, and...rage people? And...um..." Cisco turned pink, and suddenly couldn't meet her eyes.

"And?" Patty prompted softly. When he looked up, she was much closer to him.

"And, um...we...we kissed? But that can't be right, right?"

"Can't it?"

Cisco scrunched his eyebrows together, not quite daring to believe. "Can it?"

Patty laughed. "Want to find out?"

Cisco's mouth twitched up in a half smile, searching her eyes for any sign of hesitation. And then his hands were gently cupping her face and his lips were pressing against hers, and he tasted like cinnamon lollipops and coffee and something so, so wonderful.

* * *

And that's how Cisco and Patty got together.

Silly and weird and different, but like I said, this is The Librarians we're talking about here. My defense for any zaniness is that they knew everything was just going to reset anyway.

I hope it at least made you smile!


End file.
